Our board meeting that was scheduled for March at Bates was canceled because we had too many members that were out of town or could not attend. Our next meeting is April 27th at Renton Technical College. It will be from 4pm to 6pm. The annual Bite of Apprentice starts after the board meeting. This should be the biggest and best Bite of Apprentice yet. Please make sure to
visit the website for more info...

ACF Signature Series Chef Connect

Our first ACF Signature Series Chef Connect for Central/Western Regional Conference is April 12-14 in Indianapolis. This will be the new format of ACF conferences with more seminars and classes without the culinary hot food competitions. I am looking forward to attending on your behalf and to see if this format makes more sense.

Special Olympics Volunteer Event

I am sad to report that the annual sack lunch build that we have participated in for the last 5 years is not going to be done by our team this year. Jody Zumwalt and Eurest have decided to go another direction for the Special Olympics sack lunches. I would like to thank all the students and chefs that have participated in this annual fundraiser for scholarships in the past. It was a great team building event for the schools and chefs alike. We will look for another fundraiser to take the place of the sack lunches.

Thought of the Month

I know that it seems the year is flying by already. We did not have a winter to speak of and the lawns are already being mowed weekly. Let's take time to slow down our busy lifestyles and smell the flowers that are starting to bloom. It is all too easy to put one's head down and work and not look up until it is too late. I have two friends in the industry that realized too late that work is not everything and that rest and play are needed to keep sane. I myself am learning that work is not as important as family and health. That is my thought of the month.

New Student Corner Section

Please take the time to read Emily Romnes' Monthly letter below. In her article,
Perfection: simple not easy, she has great insight on molecular gastronomy. Thank you Emily for your thoughts.

We will have the Best Apprentice, Best School and the People's Choice award, this dine around is a lot of fun and lots of food to choose from. There will be fine wines $6 and $8 pours as well as Microbrew keg $6. For questions about the event,
please e-mail John Fisher, Apprenticeship Coordinator.

The board meeting for April will be at RTC on the 27th prior to the Bite of Apprentice.

MOLECULAR WORKSHOP FOLLOW-UP

The Molecular Workshop, held on February 28th, 2015 at RTC, was a great success. It was an educational seminar available to Professional Chefs and Student Culinarians and an excellent hands on approach to Molecular Gastronomy. Attendees had the opportunity to use various ingredients, tools and techniques in molecular work.

I am a believer in the perfectly poached egg. Once the protective albumen is punctured, out pours a river of golden richness. The warm egg yolk is hollandaise of the gods.

As a young Culinarian, I was initially swept off my feet by molecular gastronomy. The Rock concert of foams, glues and smokes dazzled me. All I wanted was to get my hands on some Albumina and go to town. After volunteering at the molecular gastronomy workshop in February, I've come back down to earth.

Molecular gastronomy is the art of applying chemistry to basic culinary preparations, but it's become much more than that. It's a fad, frenzy, a compulsion to change food in unnatural ways because it looks great and people will buy it. Some things are practical; some are not.

I watched in awe as a beet puree was turned into stable foam that could be spooned onto a plate or even frozen for later use. I could hardly wait to taste it, but when I did I found it was only hot air. The beets had given the foam a brilliant pink color, but the beet flavor was not there. The foam also had a faint rubber-glove smell which was rather unappetizing.

Other compounds were fantastic. The hot chocolate mousse or olive oil meringue were as tasty as they were beautiful. Frozen micro green garnishes were attractive as well, but once they thaw they are reduced to wilted rubbish heaps. When you alter food dramatically you may degrade it, whether by a loss of flavor, texture or beauty. The decision to apply molecular gastronomy is a very serious one; you must weigh the pros and cons. If it doesn't taste as good it's just fancy junk. Over time these failures will be forgotten; the practical and delicious will survive and hopefully be used to improve and expand many chefs' repertoires.

Young people like me are impressed by the newest and coolest culinary gimmicks. Sometimes the most delicious flavors are brushed aside as old fashioned or too easy. We forget that when done perfectly these elementary methods become magical. Their mastery produces unbelievable flavors that no powders or gels can reproduce. Innovation can never be allowed to replace skill.

Molecular is like any other methodology: it must be mastered and used properly. One or two cutting edge items are a delightful change, but simple and delicious food is unbeatable. I still think molecular gastronomy is exciting, but I have learned caution.

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